Mount & Blade - September Retail Relese Date

Paradox sent out this press release, revealing a September 19th release date for the full version of Mount & Blade:

Paradox Announces Release Date for Mount & BladeGroundbreaking combat title rides to release in September

NEW YORK- July 30, 2008 – Paradox Interactive today announced the release date for their highly anticipated upcoming PC medieval, action-RPG title, Mount & Blade. Mount & Blade will be released in the UK and Europe on September 19th, 2008.

Mount & Blade is a single-player, third or first-person action/role-playing game with a focus on medieval combat. Developed by the Turkish development house TaleWorlds Entertainment, the BETA version of the game has received acclaim worldwide from gamers impressed by the game’s realistic horseback combat, luscious graphics, and open-world sandbox gameplay. The latter enables players to roam the map freely in a medieval world that offers activities ranging from hunting down bandits, to trading for profit in the game's complex economic system, to becoming a commander and taking part in the wars, with the ultimate goal of becoming a great lord of the realm.

Mount & Blade will be available for purchase in stores and for digital download at GamersGate, the leading digital distribution platform creating easily accessible gaming experiences for gamers worldwide.

I tried one of the builds a couple of years ago on a laptop. Was basically unplayable, most likely due to hardware/lack of optimizations so I never really got any impression of whether it's good or bad. I could download the latest build and try it out but it's not really on top of my list atm. Could anyone enlighten me if this is a game worth buying when released?

It can basically be described as Elite with Swords. You run around with a band of mercenaries and do quests. The strength of the game is the tactical combat engine, particularly mounted combat is better than any other game. Like all Elite type games it can get a bit repetitive.

I put many hours into two versions of the game, starting around 0.9. It was entirely playable and fun. Completely worthwhile for the price, at the time $22.00.

One problem I had with it was the completely lacking overall story. I don't mind a game that's all about combat, but you at least should be able to "win" eventually by wiping everyone else out. If that is addressed in the final release, I completely recommend it.